Courses

BookThe Gender Studies Minor consists of five courses taken from at least four different departments, plus a capstone course. No more than one interim is allowed in the minor.

1. Three from primary gender courses:

CAS 270 - Communication and Gender
ENGL 290 - Literature and Women
HIST 256 - Women and Gender in U.S. History
HIST 268 - Women and Gender in European History
PHIL 211 - Philosophy of Gender
POLS 312 - Men, Women and Politics
PSYC 222 - Human Sexuality and Gender
REL 313 - When Women Read the Old Testament
SOC 250 - Diversity and Inequality in North American Society

2. Two from the following categories:

  • The Above Courses
  • Special Topics Courses with a gender focus
  • Approved Interim Courses, such as REL W10: The Many Voices of Feminist Theology; IDIS W43: Women's Plight in a Developing Country
  • Gender-Cognate Courses: in consultation with his/her Gender Studies advisor and subject to approval by the Gender Studies Minor steering committee, a student may negotiate a contract in a general class to add a significant gender component to class requirements. These may include, but are not limited to, readings and guided research of a topical paper. The gender focus could also factor into an honors contract. The professor in the course must be committed to providing guidance in the area of gender analysis. Only one gender-cognate course may count toward the minor.

3. IDIS 394 Seminar in Gender Studies

The capstone course, taken in the junior or senior year, will integrate previous work in the minor while focusing on current research, theoretical paradigms, and controversies in the field. The goal is to foster mature Christian thinking on gender issues.

Course Descriptions

CAS 270 - Communication and Gender

  • F. A study and Christian evaluation of the relations between communication and gender, especially in interpersonal relationships, family, business, religious organizations, and educational institutions and religious settings.


ENGL 290 - Literature and Women

  • F. Readings will emphasize poems, stories, plays, essays, and literary criticism written by women; these readings will include both the established (e.g., Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson, Edith Wharton, and Charlotte Bronte) and the recovered (e.g., Anne Lock, Aphra Behn, Charlotte Smith, and Zora Neale Hurston). In addition to focusing on the many contributions made by women to literary culture, this course will examine male and female representations of the feminine experience as well as the issue of gender and its implication for literature.

HIST 256 - Women and Gender in U.S. History
  • An introduction to topics in the history of women in the United States and to the use of gender as a historical category of analysis. This course examines experiences unique to women as well as the changing perceptions of masculinity and femininity evident in different historical epochs.

HIST 268 - Women and Gender in European History

  • An introduction to topics in the history of women in Europe and to the use of gender as a historical category of analysis. This course examines experiences unique to women as well as the changing perceptions of masculinity and femininity throughout European history.

PHIL 211 - Philosophy of Gender
  • F and S. In this course students are offered the opportunity to gain a historically-grounded philosophical understanding of the concept of gender, to understand the ways in which gender concepts are formed by, and in their turn, form contemporary cultural beliefs and practices, and to consider how these issues intersect with a Reformed understanding of human life.

POLS 312- Men, Women and Politics
  • F. This course explores how ideas about men and women affect the way public policy and legislation is made. Issues concerning the differences and relationships between men and women, such as marriage and employment will be considered. An effort will be made to develop a Christian perspective on whether men and women have the same, equivalent, or radically different rights and responsibilities. The course includes case studies of recent legislation and court opinions and offers comparisons between the U.S. and other states.

PSYC 222 - Human Sexuality and Gender
  • F. This course explores the ways that sexuality and gender have been studied as variables in psychological research and theory. Special attention will be given to recent theories of physiological and cultural influences on men’s and women’s development. Biblical and popular perspectives on sexuality and gender issues will be examined, and promises and problems in gender relations will also be studied. Prerequisite: Psychology 151 or permission of the instructor.

REL 313 - When Women Read the Old Testament
  • F. This course is the special topic for the Current Issues in Old Testament Studies course. In the last two decades, biblical interpretation by women and about women has blossomed and made significant contributions to the field of biblical studies. This course will study feminist approaches to the Old Testament and examine key passages relating to gender issues. Prerequisite: 121 or an intermediate biblical studies course.

SOC 250 - Diversity and Inequality in N. A. Society
  • F and S. This course analyzes the social meanings of our various identities (i.e., race-ethnicity, class, and gender); how these identities affect our self-concepts; and the impact of these identities upon our social and societal relationships. The primary objective of this course is to study the social definitions of gender, race, and class.

IDIS 394 - Seminar in Gender Studies
  • S. An integrative course that builds on previous work in the minor, focusing particularly on current research, theory, and controversies in the field. Special attention will be paid to nurturing mature Christian thinking on gender issues.